Australia is considered to have one of the best health care systems in the world. It has consistently been ranked to be among the top health systems, due to their combination of public and private systems that complement each other to provide quality care to the public.
Unfortunately, no health system is perfect as there are still issues that can put a strain to initiatives and programs dedicate to health care. As such, further enhancing of said programs must be done in order to overcome these challenges.
Of course, knowing about these specific health issues will go a long way towards solving these problems. With this, here are some of the public health issues being faced by Australia now.
Public health issues are common but dangerous.
Some common public health issues include obesity, tobacco use, and lack of physical activity. These issues can lead to dangerous health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
It is important for everyone to be aware of these issues and to take steps to protect their health.
Obesity
Obesity is a major public health problem. It is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Obesity increases your risk for many health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is a major public health problem. Tobacco use includes smoking cigarettes, cigars, and using smokeless tobacco.
Tobacco use is a leading cause of death in the United States. It increases your risk for many health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Lack of Physical Activity
Lack of physical activity is a major public health problem. Physical activity is any activity that makes you move your body and burn calories.
Examples of physical activity include walking, running, and playing sports.
Lack of physical activity increases your risk for many health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and obesity.
Some ways to protect your health include eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and avoiding tobacco use.
Rise of Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases are medical conditions that require long term treatment or maintenance. In many cases, chronic conditions are hard to treat and can be the direct cause of death. Perhaps most importantly, chronic diseases make up most of the health burden of the Australian health system.
According to the Australian government’s Department of Health, a total of eight chronic conditions make up 61% of the total health burden. Reports also indicate that these eight conditions make up 37% of hospitalizations and 87% of deaths, either as a direct cause or as complications brought upon by the disease.
The top eight chronic conditions in Australia include:
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Back Pain
- Cancer
- COPD
- Diabetes
- Mental Health Problems
- Arthritis
- Asthma
Australia has seen rises in the above and other chronic conditions over the years, and the country must exert efforts to be able to accommodate these increasing cases while still being able to provide top-quality care.
Substance Abuse
The use of illicit substances has always been a problem, with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs such as methamphetamine being the main culprits. While recent years have seen a decline in people who have tried alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, treatment of an increasing number of addicts is still a major health issue.
Data shows that there is still a large number of young people that are still trying out illicit substances, with alcohol and cannabis being the most popular. Methamphetamines, though, pose the greatest danger due to the difficulty to quit as well as the inherent dangers of overdoses and prolonged use.
Rehabilitation is necessary for addicts to fully recover, and this can be a long and harm process that has low to moderate chances of success. Treating those suffering from substance abuse as well as minimizing relapses should remain one of Australia’s top priorities when it comes to health care.
Rising Obesity Rates
A 2018 report stated that over two-thirds of Australians are either overweight or obese. This is very troubling news as the extra weight poses major health risks for those carrying extra pounds in their bodies. Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle are to blame for the rising obesity rates being experienced in the country.
Those who are overweight or obese are at high risk of developing chronic diseases. While these complications can occur at any age, the chances will increase proportionally to your age in most cases. As such, while teenagers may get away with having a few extra fat around the waist, for the middle-aged and elderly, it could be a matter of life and death.
As such, the Australian government must strengthen drives to promote health and to educate the public on the risks of obesity. Only by doing this can obesity rates decrease in a manner that
Health Gap Between Native and Non-Native Australians
Another serious and quite controversial public health issue in Australia is the difference in the quality of health and health care between native and non-native Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been known to lack quality access to health care along with living in environments not particularly conducive to good health.
As a result of this, native Australians take up a large majority of the Australian health care burden despite comprising of only a small portion of the entire Australian population. There are also higher cases of substance abuse, mental health issues, respiratory diseases, and infections within the native Australian society.
With this, the Australian government has made efforts to close the gap between native and non-native Australians. The main goal is to provide better opportunities for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders to get better quality health care, as well as to help improve the population’s life expectancy and the quality of those years.
Mental Health Issues
The past few years have seen a rise in mental health issues for Australians. However, it is not only adults and the elderly that is being affected, as a large majority of children as young as four years old are being diagnosed with mental disorders as well.
Common mental disorders being reported to include anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and ADHD. Reports also indicate that a vast majority of these go undiagnosed. This, in turn, results in several complications such as loss of employment, poor relationships, substance abuse, and even harm to self or to others.
Raising awareness about mental health is very important so that the population can be more confident to seek help. It is also important to remove the stigma about the disease so that sufferers can come forward to find specialists or support groups for assistance and support.
An Ageing Population
Advances in health care and treatment have allowed many Australians to live long lives. While this may be something to be joyful about, this also results in a large health burden especially when it comes to aged care. Taking care of the elderly can be very costly especially if they are stricken with one or more chronic conditions.
In Australia, the number of elderly is rising. In fact, 15% of the population is made up of Australians aged 65 years old and above. The country, thus, is responsible for ensuring that the elderly, along with those about to reach that age bracket, live healthy and productive lives so as to not overtax the health care system in their advanced age.
Conclusion
There are many health threats that Australians must maintain vigilance against. We discussed a few of these in today’s post. But as you can see, public health issues affect everyone—not just Australians. Vaccinations, for example, serve a global purpose, and their failure to properly protect their users could have disastrous consequences for the rest of us. Therefore, we all need to play our part by making sure that we’re vaccinated against these threats.
Public Health plays a role in every aspect of our lives. It impacts the environment, our lifestyles and most importantly, our health. To make improvements in these areas, it is important the public have the information to make informed decisions about the issues that come up. That is where a platform such as this could play a part.
FAQs
- What are some of the health issues that Australians are facing?
There are a number of health issues that Australians are facing. These include obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental health issues and substance abuse.
- What can be done to address these health issues?
There are a number of things that can be done to address these health issues. These include improving diet and exercise habits, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and getting regular medical checkups.
- What are some of the barriers to good health in Australia?
Some of the barriers to good health in Australia include poor diet and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol abuse, and lack of access to healthcare.
- What can be done to improve the health of Australians?
There are a number of things that can be done to improve the health of Australians. These include improving diet and exercise habits, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and getting regular medical checkups.
- What is the Australian government doing to improve the health of Australians?
The Australian government is working to improve the health of Australians through a number of initiatives. These include the National Health Reform Agreement, the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health, and the National Partnership Agreement on Healthy Lifestyles.